Kim Myeongsoo, Kubelick Kelsey P, Vanderlaan Don, Qin David, Lee Jeungyoon, Jhunjhunwala Anamik, Cadena Melissa, Nikolai Robert J, Kim Jinhwan, Emelianov Stanislav Y
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
Nano Lett. 2024 May 15;24(24):7202-10. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00992.
Structural parameters play a crucial role in determining the electromagnetic and thermal responses of gold nanoconstructs (GNCs) at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Therefore, developing GNCs for reliable, high-contrast photoacoustic imaging has been focused on adjusting structural parameters to achieve robust NIR light absorption with photostability. In this study, we introduce an efficient photoacoustic imaging contrast agent: gold sphere chains (GSCs) consisting of plasmonically coupled gold nanospheres. The chain geometry results in enhanced photoacoustic signal generation originating from outstanding photothermal characteristics compared to traditional gold contrast agents, such as gold nanorods. Furthermore, the GSCs produce consistent photoacoustic signals at laser fluences within the limits set by the American National Standards Institute. The exceptional photoacoustic response of GSCs allows for high-contrast photoacoustic imaging over multiple imaging sessions. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of our GSCs for molecular photoacoustic cancer imaging, both in vitro and in vivo, through the integration of a tumor-targeting moiety.
结构参数在决定金纳米结构（GNCs）在近红外（NIR）波长下的电磁和热响应方面起着关键作用。因此，开发用于可靠、高对比度光声成像的GNCs一直聚焦于调整结构参数，以实现具有光稳定性的强大近红外光吸收。在本研究中，我们引入了一种高效的光声成像造影剂：由等离子体耦合金纳米球组成的金球链（GSCs）。与传统的金造影剂（如金纳米棒）相比，链状几何结构因出色的光热特性而导致光声信号生成增强。此外，在美国国家标准学会设定的限制范围内，GSCs在激光能量密度下能产生一致的光声信号。GSCs卓越的光声响应使得在多个成像环节中都能实现高对比度光声成像。最后，我们通过整合肿瘤靶向部分，在体外和体内证明了我们的GSCs在分子光声癌症成像中的效用。
